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First off, a belated Merry Christmas to you all! I have been enjoying the festive season to the max, spending time with friends and family, eating(!) as well as decorating my first real tree. It’s been nice to have a few days to catch up with myself and to reflect on the year too – something which I explored back in my Achievements and Resolutions post for 2016/17 which you can read here. Back to this one though and I recently wrote about the #APOV Gift Swap. We were each swapped with fabulous bloggers, we shared an idea for budget and a few things on our wish list before hitting the shops. I had a fantastic time choosing for my blogger, The Trendy Orange, and had a great time reading her fashion and lifestyle blog too. In turn she sent be a box of gorgeous goodies which I was so excited to open on Christmas morning!

So what was in my box of goodies? I opened it up to find the cutest little card from Ashley with a gorgeous glitter Merry Christmas. Underneath I spotted the Pusheen Cosmetic Bag straight away. I love anything Pusheen – the cutest cat – so I was so excited to see this. Pusheen has plenty of room for storing all my make up and is so furry. His little face is gorgeous and can brighten anyone’s day!

Next up, I spotted bright pink flamingo paper clips. I love cute stationery especially when it involves animals or fun things. I’ve just created a new desk space to enable blog and writing for 2017 so these will definitely brighten up the space!

The next gift I could smell as soon as I opened the box – a gorgeous Lush bath bomb in the shape of a parcel. I must admit I went in Lush just before Christmas just to smell all the beautiful bath bombs! I also jumped in on the online queue for the sales on Boxing Day and spent my day waiting from 75,000th in the queue! By the time I got onto the website there was nothing exciting left! Do let me know if you grabbed a bargain though!

My final gift was the most gorgeous candle I’ve ever seen. It’s a little pine cone with snow decorating the base inside a pretty glass jar. The most perfect Christmas decoration which I am planning to save until next year as it is far too pretty to light!

To complete the box Ashley included a number of yummy chocolates which I can’t wait to indulge in! You can never have too much chocolate at Christmas – Yum! Thank you Ashley so much for all of my fabulous gifts – even though we have never met the gifts you bought were so special and truly wonderful.

My advice to those who are thinking about a bloggers gift swap is totally do it! It’s such a lovely way to meet new blogging friends, learn about others’ interests and in turn it’s so fun to go out and choose unique gifts for someone.

So I know it’s that time of year when I really should be buying prezzies for other people and totally overspending on them. The truth is, I’ve been pretty organised this year – ordering most of my gifts online and wrapping weeks in advance of the big day, so as a congratulatory move I decided to head to MAC and treat myself a little!

Walking into MAC is like walking into a wonderland of make up and beauty goodies. It’s the beauty go to for any make up artist and I am literally in love with it. (I haven’t forgotten you, Benefit and Urban Decay…)

I used to visit the branch in High Street Kensington in London which I loved. It had loads of products and it was fairly empty meaning you didn’t feel so bad for asking the staff to try product after product and they had time to spend talking you through different make up tips. They closed this branch earlier in the year which was gutting and now my nearest is in my local Westfield. On this occasion however, I decided to visit their new branch in Carnaby Street which they have recently relocated. Now it’s so much bigger with ample space for trying products and having demonstrations.

To be honest, as always, I only knew one thing that I wanted to get and that was a lighter shade of the Studio Fix foundation which is my current go to. It provides such a fantastic coverage without being too oily and I always get such fab compliments when I wear it. A cheaper fab alternative is the foundation from W7. This is particularly great in Summer as it’s a little bit lighter, so perfect if you don’t want to have too much on your skin.

Studio Fix Fluid in NW20 – £22

This Winter I’ve become obsessed with the colour navy. It’s such a cute Winter colour and definitely makes a change from wearing black all the time. I recently saw a Vlogger (I can’t remember who) demonstrating a fab navy eyeliner and so have been on the lookout for a navy eyeliner ever since. I found this gorgeous shade, Siahi, in the fluidliner which is a dark navy. I’ll probably use it to draw some cute winged lines to go with my bold new lashes! These will look fab over the Christmas and New Year holiday season!

Fluidline in Siahi – £16

The last thing I purchased was of course my absolute favourite, glitter! Glitter is my must have in my make up bag and whilst in recent years I’ve been sticking to white and silver, this year I’ve decided to mix it up a bit with this gorgeous pink! I was literally drawn to it in the shop and I honestly don’t know how everyone in the shop wasn’t drawn to it like a moth to a light. It’s going to look so cute over Christmas and I can’t wait to get creative with it!

Glitter in Pink – £17

Have you had any naughty pre-Christmas splurges lately? Let me know in the comments!

For those of you who are stuck for ideas on what to buy for loved ones for Christmas this year don’t despair! I have a fabulous business to share with you this week called Impossible to Buy For.

Impossible to Buy For is a website suited to those who are totally stuck for gift ideas for loved ones in the run up for that special occasion be it Christmas, Birthday, Valentines Day etc. Set up by blogger, Louise Croft who owns blog, Pauper to Princess. All of the gifts are supplied by Amazon to provide gifts for literally everyone in your life!

“So many of my friends and family are impossible to buy for, and I knew I couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, so I figured it was time to fix the problem.” – Louise Croft, Founder of Impossibletobuyfor.com

What I love about Louise’s website is how easy it is to find a gift. What I often find with larger department store websites is that it can take a while to find the perfect gift but this has all the ideas in one place for any budget.

So are you looking for some gift ideas? I’ve put together a few lists for you below for the different people in your life! I hope it provides you with some inspiration!

Miss Milly are a wholesale jewellery business that I came across when I attended Pure London last February. Launching in 2012, they have some stunning pieces which look like miniature pieces of art!

Usually I’m not overly keen on large designs in jewellery unless I’m wearing a fairly plain, simple outfit, however all of these designs seem so versatile that I feel I could quite easily adapt an outfit to the design of the jewellery I choose to accessorise with.

I have a super long wishlist of jewellery from Miss Milly, most of which will definitely be going on my Christmas list this year. The colours are absolutely gorgeous and they can be dressed up for a night out or can be worn in the daytime to work or out with friends. All jewellery is nickel-free, lead-free and cadmium-free.

Every item has free delivery in the UK and comes with free gift packaging – the perfect way to shop for Christmas gifts!

After buying my gorgeous faux fur scarf from Miss Selfridge recently, I have gone navy obsessed! Navy is definitely the new black for me so when I came across this necklace (and matching bracelet!) on the website I knew it had to go top of my wishlist for Christmas.

I have received three beautiful pieces from Miss Milly to review with each item delicately wrapped in a purple tissue paper, they were beautifully presented. The first was this stunning long heart necklace. Decorated with intricate detail, this pretty necklace has a long chain with a heart charm. I was pleasantly surprised by this necklace as I often find these to be made of quite a thin metal. This necklace however, felt well made and durable. £11.85

The second piece was this set of starry earrings. Besides my pearl earrings that I literally wear on a daily basis, I go through phases of getting addicted to wearing the same pair of dangly earrings. I feel like space, stars and planets are definitely in trend for Autumn/Winter 2015 so I’ll definitely be using them to glam up my evening Christmas party outfits! I love the different colour metals used, it definitely gives them that unique, handmade look. £12.45

My favourite piece that Miss Milly has been kind enough to send through to me has to be this blue disc bracelet. I loved the stones in this bracelet and love that it is elasticated meaning it is so easy to put on and take off. When holding the bracelet up in the light the stones sparkled with a rainbow of colours. I will definitely be taking this on my holidays next year when I jet off to Dubai. The perfect way to accessorise a cute holiday outfit!£16.50

Make sure you follow Miss Milly on Twitter @MissMillyUK and click here to visit their website.

Best of all, in association with Miss Milly I am delighted to offer my readers a 10% discount! Make sure you use the word TEN in the shopping basket before going through to the checkout. Perfect for Christmas shopping!

Do you have a favourite piece of jewellery from Miss Milly? Let me know in the comments!

Becky at Pretty & Petit

*Items were supplied by Miss Milly to review for this blog post. Thank you Miss Milly!

I found out about Noah’s Ark & Crafts whilst in Southampton visiting a new boutique concept in which small businesses and individuals hire space to display their products for sale. I came across Noah’s Ark & Crafts as one of these small businesses and absolutely loved their products.

The specialise in kitsch cushions and fun bunting. Cushions are great to brighten up plain, dull furniture and especially these which will be the most eye catching accessory in the room! The bunting available provides a great addition to any kids bedroom with a whole range to choose from.

Some of my recommendations include:

Comic Strip Hero Cushion – £15

Marvel Heroes Cushion – £15

Aloha Girls Cushion – £15

Guess How Much I Love You – £10

The Gruffalo Bunting – £10

Marvellous Marvel Bunting – £10

Click here to visit their website and view the full range of great products available! Perfect for Christmas!

Acts of kindness, sharing and giving are all definite things that feed my soul. I like to motivate and inspire people. Through my current job I feel I inspire young people into looking into different career paths through different areas of study. I try and encourage them to think outside of the box by thinking about their skills and then associate them to different careers. I really like to motivate and inspire particularly those who feel as though they may have lost their way slightly or are unsure of what they would like to do in the future.

For special occasions I enjoy creating gift hampers for people. I recently created a wedding hamper filled with treats for a friend of mine. For my sisters birthday I created a hamper full of her favourite things decorating the top with a chalkboard as she has just started a new job in a primary school. I really enjoy personalising gifts and to show that I have put some thought into them.

Do you create your own gifts? I’d love to hear some of your ideas for personalising your gifts.

I came across Alfie Moon Designs on my Twitter feed this week when a fellow small business retweeted their cute designs. I instantly fell in love with Slouchy the Penguin, Pete the Panda and the Alfie and Tommy Moon cats! These designs are printed onto mugs, tote bags, clocks and money boxes and are the perfect addition to any shopping trip, coffee table or desk at work.

There are several collections to choose from including the loveable characters, woodland animals and a mix of modern twists on vintage classics! I especially love these tote bags below featuring a fox and a print from Alice in Wonderland.

If you love your pet there is also an option to personalise a mug or tote bag with your favourite photo! These are very reasonable at only £7.50 for either a tote bag or mug.

If you are looking for a wedding gift this Summer then check out these cute printed ‘The Perfect Pair’ mugs, a cute gift for animal lovers!

There is also a fantastic range of wall art available on the website including the loveable characters and other prints. I especially like the music notes and Pete the Panda!

With the Royal Baby on the way I feel this week my featured business fits the theme quite nicely! The Essential Bag Company was set up by Alexis, a mother of one (with another on the way! Congratulations!) living in London, offering luxury gifts for those celebrating a new arrival in the family.

The collection includes Mother to Be Bags, New Mother Bags and New Baby Bags. They also offer pre-packed hospital bags, New Father Bags and Big Brother/Sister Bags, a great gift for the older sibling when the new baby arrives. The bags can be ready made or you can personalise them by selecting the products you wish to include.

2) Instead of putting the gifts in a wicker basket or gift box, the gifts are presented in a useful, stylish changing bag (from brands such as PacaPod, Storksak and Babymel), every new parent’s must have accessory.

3)You can create your own bag by choosing the contents or you can select one of their ready made bags.

I absolutely love this business and I think it is such a beautiful concept. The website is so easy to navigate with stunning imagery and it is easy to personalise your own bag to make your gift extra special by selecting the products you want to include. It’s so great that you can get lots of well known luxury brands all part of one combined package and the changing bags the gifts come in are so useful too. It certainly takes the stress out of gift purchasing!

If you’re expecting a little one, or have friends or family that are and are debating a gift to get them, why not take a look at the full range on The Essential Bag Company website by clicking here! You can also claim 10% off by entering ‘PRETTYANDPETIT’ at the checkout.

This week our featured business of the week is…The Spotted Zebra Company!

I chose The Spotted Zebra Company this week as they regularly appear on my Twitter feed with such cute gift ideas and accessories that I wanted to share with everyone!

This week, with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I have tried to include a bit of a heart theme through some of the items I have featured for all those out there that are stuck for ideas!

They have a range of items including bags, purses, jewellery and really cute printed scarves – including this sail boat scarf below.

Being Welsh, I absolutely loved Carrie Elspeth’s range of jewellery on the site including her Welsh inspired collection. Check out a few of my favourite items from the collection below. (Penblwydd Hapus – Happy Birthday!)

Another pretty Valentine’s gift could be these glass earrings below. Pale pink in colour they provide a cute girly touch to any date night outfit.

The Spotted Zebra Company also includes a range of quirky jewellery! Check out how cute Bertie Bassett is!!

Or this Creme Egg necklace.. How do you eat yours?!

My all time favourite spread – Nutella! Even just typing the name is making me dream of the chocolatey/nutty taste – yum!!!

For the full range of items available click here to visit The Spotted Zebra Company website.

These bespoke, handmade, wooden frames are perfect for any occasion but are especially wonderful given as a wedding gift on anniversary present.

These frames are offered in a variety of sizes in a range of finishes. The frames include optional text and there are a range of fonts to choose from.

Sizes include:

5×5 Inch Frames

5×7 Inch Frames

6×4 Inch Frames

8×6 Inch Frames

Double Frames

Triple Frames

I ordered a couple of these frames a while ago and thought they were stunning with a truly professional finish! I particularly liked the handmade nature of them, knowing that each frame was made specifically to my order. My favourite frame has the cute addition of paw prints in the top left hand corner. Perfect for pet lovers!

These frames are very reasonable in price and postage is quick and FREE! Don’t just take my word for it though, there are some fantastic testimonials on their website.

So if you’re struggling for ideas for a wedding present this is ideal! A perfect way to display their favourite photos from their special day. Click here to visit their website!